It's a Mild Syndrome
by Aki The Crane
Summary: "I am known as Mr. White, not only by the Gotham City police but by all the under-worlder's I deal with. From weapon sales to the new rage of Rabbit Drugs. A persnickety white powder mixture that will only lead you down a dark hole in life. Not that I'm already stuck in one myself." It's just another drug dealer in the City of Gotham? If only it were that simple. Rated T for now.
1. Prolouge

**Disclaimer: I do not own Batman Begins / The Dark Knight / The Dark Knight Rises, nor any of the characters in relation too. I own all my own characters and contributed ideas.**

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- It's a Mild Syndrome -  
- Prologue -

I am known as Mr. White, not only by the Gotham City police but by all the under-worlder's I deal with. From weapon sales to the new rage of Rabbit - I am often referred to as the White Rabbit or persnickety March Hare because of my leading sales in the substance. Allow me to tell you however; when I grew up here I wanted to be a doctor to help people and I never expected to sell drugs that caused one to dive further into the black hole of _wonderland._

I've worked with some pretty messed up men in the under city - even a few jobs done with the marvelous Miss Kyle. However Cat's don't tend to mix with Rabbits for too long now do they? We made a neutral agreement to not work together again over a roof jumping session.

Originally I had started out with the infamous mafia families; selling their petty war game items and then some bat wearing costumed freak dropped in to give ol' Mr. White a good hit in the face. Needless to say The White Rabbit of Gotham was only locked away for a year.

Now that I'm out again there have been quite some changes. An odd man in a burlap sack, the Miss Ivy with her plants, dear Mr. Fries got involved with something he shouldn't have - just an ice man now. However the strangest one thus far would be with my current client. He calls himself the Penguin, but I still know him as Oswald Cobblepot - the legendary rival family of the Wayne's back in the day.

Perhaps I'll never get out of this business or settle down with a nice normal family, but it's not like I want to quit anyways. I am one to talk; as I probably enjoy my work a little too much at times… I'll have to stay in denial with that less I lose my mind to turn mad. One thing has always got me however in this line of work… why call female me Mr. White and not Miss Rabbit?

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**Reviews are very inspirational and help writers with their blocks; so if you want more story then support your writers and give them some creative criticism. Good or bad. Till next time Aki.**


	2. Chapter One: Tonic

**Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Comics / Batman / Batman the Animated Series / Batman Begins / The Dark Knight / The Dark Knight Rises, nor any of the characters in relation too. I own all my own characters and contributed ideas.**

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- It's a Mild Syndrome -  
- Chapter One: Tonic -

**- Tannis Murdock -**

Eight thirty on a Saturday night was when things became busy for the Tonic. Behind the bar's wooden counter top was what could be called a blonde bombshell looking woman named Tannis Murdock; also known as Mr. White Rabbit. Not all of the Gothamites knew who she was - unlike the Batman and all the other masked wonders of Gotham be it good or bad. That she was thankful for, if at least to keep her Pub in business.

Tannis wiped down the counter one last time before barking at her staff to do the cleaning themselves. The two twin college boys who worked the front nodded quickly and got out of her sight with out another word. They were good kids, greedy in a way but good. Suddenly amazed at what people would do for money or a bit of pleasure in their lives she found herself coming back to an old habit. When she thought in philosophical ways it lead to the action of lighting up a cigarette between her glossy white painted finger nails. Which she raised to her ruby painted lips and in-hailed. The smoldering orange end flared to life just before she took her lips from the yellow butt end and exhaled, then it went back to just a barely noticeable wave of smoke. This woman's eyes followed some of the patrons that entered the bar - it would be an hour or so before any of the rich of Gotham might chance a dare at a _middle class pub._

Cancer had never crossed this woman's mind when she smoked - for she was sure she'd die in the heat of gun fire over a crate of silly white powder before anything else. The little cancer stick dangled lazily off her _war painted _lips to one side and got shorter in millimeters by the second as it burned itself away to nothing more than toxic ash. Tannis had her arms folded over one another as she all but laid on the counter top of the bar; her golden hazel eyes lingered over the filling pub. The gaze only wavering for a moment when a small lock of snow blonde hair got in the orbs way; she moved a hand up to push it back. Even with short hair it always seemed like it wanted to be in the way of her vision.

_Bored_ would be an inaccurate word at the present for this woman, it didn't express her need to do something other than this. Other than pouring drinks, making leisure small talk; to do something exciting. Tannis often considered taking a hit of Rabbit herself but unlike cigarettes it could kill you in a week.

The temptation to know what all these teenagers went through before making that stupid decision to hit up more than once in a day; the feeling of your heart accelerating faster and faster. The world a blur and the tunnel vision in some. Old men getting a boost of courage to go out an' have sex with a pretty young thing and women the courage to even kill their abusive boyfriend with nothing but a butter knife.

To some it was like acid; the trip down the black hole to wonderland, to others it was like being shot up with crystal meth, and even then Rabbit's affects really depended on who you were. Not talking about social status - that had nothing to do with it. It's all about your genetic make up. Male, Female, Old, Young… all had unpredictable side affects however. Tannis has always heard from those who use it that it was worth the risk. This was the temptation to escape the drab world - she knew better than that, but even she was human. Perhaps it was just a matter of time.

Before long her cigarette had ended it's life; death by burning, and she took up another one. Flicking the silver lighter with her trademark Rabbit engrave open as her eyes did the same flickering motion to the Pub's door. Tannis decided to light up the stick anyways, Mr. Cobblepot wouldn't mind one bit if she smoked. Last freak show she had worked with had broken her only pack for lighting up around his flammable gas tanks - he really was a Joker that day.

**- Oswald Cobblepot -**

That persnickety rabbit of down town Gotham may have been just what he needed right now as the short man looked over the few henchmen he had acquired in the last few days. It would take quite a little more unique sets of skills for the heist he wanted to pull off. Of course he could have asked that oddity of a clown for _it's _help but Oswald would not lower himself like that. He was a gentleman after all - not among the common rabble like some painted up, purple wearing suited circus freak.

Although Mr. White was not in the same class as he was Mr. Cobblepot had a high respect for the woman when she got caught between him and the blue bloods. The woman could have easily squawked his name out like a morning glory at dawn if she had wanted to. Tannis Murdock had been let off easy however with just being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Ah yes, a woman had her uses.

The Penguin chuckled, drawing some attention to himself from the henchmen, "What are you looking at," he snarled out in anger; it was rude to stare after all, "go fetch the car." He chirped at one man he knew could at least drive.

He would never say he waddled to the car but that's very much what it looked like for a moment. After picking up the companion of an umbrella he ducked into the red and white vehicle.

"To the Iceberg Mr. Penguin Sir?" The thug he had given the name of Mocking Jay to asked him; and he'd continue to ask this every time he got into the car with him… it's why he called him that.

"No Mr. Jay. Take me to the Tonic Pub."

Traffic was light so it wouldn't be long before he saw that rabbit again; how long had it been… over a year now if he remembered correctly. Tannis had agreed to help him with his more sensitive endeavors as long as he funded her _"Tonic"_ project. Cobblepot really hadn't expected her to be speaking about a bar in Gotham. His webbed fingers reached up to fix the large monocle that was upon his right eye after the car hit a rather hard bump, "Can you not fly her better?" Again he took on the tone of arrogance and superiority over his henchman.

"Sorry Mr. Cobblepot Sir." It was all that needed to be said for the man.

From the bird seed hide out it was only a twelve drive, even with traffic some of the back streets that they took were fairly empty. So when the car stopped he waited to have the door opened for him, which of course his driving henchman did. The stocky man stepped out with caution where he stepped as someone had already threw up the contents of their stomach outside her place again. With a wrinkling of his nose and grimace upon his face he moved around the puddle of vomit and placed his hand on the door to swing it open. Instantly he looked to the door; once again readjusting the monocle upon his face - even though it needed not be done, and turned the hawk gaze to Tannis. Oswald knew she'd seen him enter and watched him as he made his way to the back like he owned her pub. He might as well have if she didn't legally weasel him out of the title. As it was he would not hold that against her; he'd just go along with her fantasy that she really owned the backwater place.

**- Tannis Murdock -**

"What a surprise Cobblepot. Come in for a drink and a chat hm?" The woman had shut the office door and leaned against the wood since the fat bird had _perched on _her vibrant red leather chair; behind _her_ desk.

He merely chuckled at her. It would have made her uneasy if not for her line of work - thus it only caused her to glance at the henchman that had followed his employer into her office. He was leaning against the torn leather couch off to her right. However the golden gaze went back to Oswald when he spoke, "If only, but I do know you value your time. As do I Mr. White," Ah. Now it all made sense what he was here for. It was kind of him to wait until she was off her probation, exactly a week since she went to her last session, "So let's skip the chatter."

Tannis didn't need to say anything for she knew the man was arrogant enough to hold a one sided conversation. So she simply nodded her head once and took a drag from the cigarette, leaving it in her mouth as he continued speaking.

"I will be paying you for three crates of Rabbit, and shall need you to pick up a little more muscle for me. I've been having a hard time recruiting the meaty types as of late," That was the easy part and she knew it. Most of those _meaty_ types were attracted to that Joker that had come to town; but she was sure she could find a few that wanted out of that scene, "I require your unique talents at the new exhibit at the Gotham Museum. They will be showing off a prized collection of cut Bohemian glass music box eggs at the end of the night," the pudgy man grinned and she could tell he hadn't brushed his teeth in quite a while, "… I need them to fly the coop." Oswald had that grin on his face still and with him chuckling like the mad man he was it only caused her to shake her own head.

_Oh the strange one's I work with._

This man was indeed obsessed with all things bird. Even his language was full of references to it - it tended to get on her nerves. Taking a long drag from her cigarette before plucking it from her mouth. Tannis exhaled through her mouth creating a large plume of silky white smoke, "Three thousand per crate; and that's a bargain my dear Oswald," She knew she owed the fat man some money as it was - Mr. White had just cut the Penguin a fifty percent sale, "also a delivery of a letter to Edward Nigma."

Pushing herself from the door her eyes peered at the henchman from the corners as he too tensed and stood upon seeing her movements. Tannis placed the cigarette in the ash tray before placing a hand on the arm of her leathery red chair. She moved it to the side a bit to lean over and get at the drawers; producing a manila envelope addressed to the Riddler, "He asked me for a cross word booklet last time I visited him." The woman stated simply at the skeptical look Oswald had given her.

He patted her white sleeved arm with his webbed hand while chuckling once more, "And for a second there I thought it was a love letter," Tannis made a face that looked like she might vomit. There was no time for something so frivolous as love in this city, "You have a deal Mr. White." The hand he had patted her with was held out for a hand shake - which she took. She picked up the cigarette from the ash try, placing it back to her lips for another quick drag, flicked the ash into the tray, then held it between her fingers. Without another word from her, she took the two men to the front of the building all the while Mr. Cobblepot commented on the up keeping of her pub. He always had something negative to say about it, and Tannis stopped listening to it a long time ago. Before getting back into his red and white bird-mobile he had to open that _beak_ of his one more time, "You know it's un-lady like to smoke." He slipped into the car and rolled down the window for her response.

Tannis was some what taken aback, he'd never said anything to her about it before. She leaned one arm on his window sill of the car, took a large drag from the cancer stick then blew the smoke into the vehicle, "…Well it's a good thing I'm Mr. White and you're not a woman now is it?" It was rare for her to take on such an arrogant note in her voice.

The Penguin clicked the button to roll up his window as the car slowly began to move and she swore she heard him call her a cheeky bitch. _It's a good thing that I'm no average mutt either then._

Several hours later after the bar had lost most of it's usual company Tannis closed up.

"Bye - bye." Both of the twins called to her as they waved and left through the back door and only when she heard the rumble of the truck they owned did she move to go back to her office. Tannis closed the door and locked it behind her, while her other hand slipped up to loosen the black tie and pulled it over her head. _Home Sweet Home_. The woman flopped into her chair then kicked up her feet, placing them on top of the desk. Carefully she used one foot to take off her spat. Then she used her socked foot to take off the other one. Flexing her back and wiggling her toes caused a serious of odd _pops_ to come from her body. Slowly she leaned to keep her balance while placing her hand under the drawer of her desk to open it up. There was a loaded pistol, a pack of smokes, and a letter addressed to Edward on top of a cross word booklet. Her hand took out the pack and slid the drawer shut with a flick of her wrist.

Giving the pack of cigarettes a good shake, one of the sticks came loose in an offering to her. She brought the whole pack to her lips and took the one that was the highest then set the pack down on the desk. Tannis entertained the thought that perhaps that she could just have the cigarette in her mouth without lighting it up. Lolling it around the lower red painted lip of hers, she stared at the door across from her as if it might open up right then and there. That maybe the cops would somehow _know _about the deal she'd just made. After a couple of minutes like this however she just sighed and picked up her lighter.

The dancing flame was beautiful and that cancer stick in her mouth was like a moth - just dragging her along for the ride into the inferno. But the woman only lit the tip of the white stick and clicked the lighter shut. With the next draw of her breath came the sensation of tobacco entering her lungs, the light tickle of it's sweetness and then the need to exhale.

_Yes. This is a deathly sinful habit indeed._

Taking her sock covered feet from the desk she tossed the lighter in their place. At first all she did was sit and smoke, minutes ticked by. It could have even been hours… the fact that the same cigarette was still in her mouth told her otherwise. The golden gaze glanced down at the black and white clock on her desk which read five o'clock.

_Time to go to work._

The white painted finer nails reached under her desk and pulled a key from a secret compartment. Tannis took the cigarette from her mouth while twirling the key between her fingers then stamped the stick out in the ash tray. Along the floor boards was a small hole which the key fitted. She turned it and the wall opened up to reveal a map of Gotham marked here and there with a variety of bright colors. Next to this map was a list of phone numbers, addresses and the like.

**- Bruce Wayne -**

"Just can't let it go can you?" Dick calmly landed in the back ally to the Tonic pub with his mentor, placing away the grapple hook before following Batman to the locked kitchen door.

Batman made the simple motion of pressing down on his ever handy utility belt to get a small pick from it, "It's not like he came over for a drink." he was talking about Oswald whilst picking the lock. Again with a simplistic click it opened for him.

"And what if it was?" Bruce had only put one foot in the doorway before Dick had spoken again. He turned his cowl covered head over his shoulder to the younger man and gave him a look of _Stop Talking._

He had honestly considered the fact that Tannis was clean. That Mr. White was no longer making deals with the underbelly of Gotham; but he found it so hard to believe it. With the appearance of Oswald Cobblepot a week before the showing of fancy eggs at the Gotham Museum, Batman was sure he'd come to make a deal with the woman. Even if she was clean it would pry on his conscious that he never checked. Walking calmly through the kitchen he clicked on a small hand flashlight it's LED lighting up the area he shined it at with a slight blue glow. Past the kitchen they went, behind the less than fully stocked bar, and to another locked door which behind sat the pub's office and Tannis's residence.

The lock was trickery than the alley door, but it was still nothing like Nigma's contraptions. The office was dark and Batman assumed Tannis was either out or sleeping up the stairs to his left. Since his sidekick hadn't made any noise since they entered he didn't bother with telling him to be quiet. Instead he swept silently into the room and started going through all the file cabinets that had been locked. Nothing. Robin had been going through her desk when he motioned over to him.

There was a letter addressed to one Mr. Edward Nigma.

Carefully Batman opened up the letter so that he could put it back together without a trace of it ever being opened. It was just as tricky as her office door to do, but neither the less he got it done in a matter of minutes.

_Dear Mr. Nigma,_

_It is tragic that you have once again been committed to the asylum, I enjoyed the time we spent working together. On my visits to Arkham I've noticed a lack of mind teasing activities; as most the books are for ten year olds. So to help you pass the time I've sent with this letter a cross word book and hoped I could try my hand at writing a few riddles for you. _

_If you were to spell out numbers how far would you have to go until you would find the letter A?_

_Marble walls as white as milk, lined with skin as soft as silk, and in a fountain crystal clear. A golden apple does appear. No doors or windows to this strong hold. Yet thieves break in and steal the gold. What am I?_

_I'll visit you in the near future, _

_Tannis. _

Without a second thought to it he knew the answers of the riddles, one thousand and a shadow. Every way he looked at it, it didn't look like it was coded. From the iron spiral stairs came a creaking and Batman quickly ducked behind the sofa. "Batman?" It was only Dick being careless. Actually he hadn't noticed the young man climb up the stairs in the first place. He came out of hiding and gave Grayson a disapproving look, they were supposed to be stealthy; not waltzing into the bed room of a suspect unnecessarily, "She's not here." Dick announced.

Batman nodded then took out a small razor thin camera to photograph the document before he sealed it back up.

**- Jervis Tetch -**

"Boss!"

It was the simplistic word that snapped this Hatter from his thoughts of his beautiful Alice. Oh the soft golden locks and how she drank his tea; yes such a beauty. Jervis blinked from the captivating thoughts, they were for another time as it seemed his Hare's needed his assistance, "What is it?" the man spat with a little more venom in his voice than normal.

The henchman wearing a brown rabbit's mask was before him and a little out of breath. He had his hands resting upon his bent knees, "We caught… the intruder."

Perhaps he really _had _been lost far too deeply in his own thoughts; for he didn't remember anything about an intruder, "Yes, yes. Bring him in." As the goon's did as they were told Jervis watched the doors to his inner hideout open up, and at first thought a bar tended in a potato sack had been pushed through his doors. Suddenly however realization hit him - it had to be Jonathan! That sack wearing coffee drinker. A scowl crossed his face once he remembered that the Scarecrow was the man that had used him to escape Arkham while leaving poor Tetch to take the fall for it. Quickly he stood furious and leapt door from the high-back _kings _chair to stalk towards the man that put him through five months of asylum hell.

Closer and closer he got, each step the motion to pull a mind controlling card from his hat became clearer. Now he was going to put the Master of Fear through his own little version of hell. Tetch snickered. He motioned to the henchies to hold the man still. And they did.

The grunt of discomfort that came from the man before him sounded quite like a mouse to his ears and Jervis grinned wider. Ripping the sack from the fellow's face he gasped in shock as there stood a blonde beauty - not unlike his Alice. He almost uttered her name… Alice that was, "My, my, my…" It took the Mad Hatter a moment to find his words, "and who are you?" How could he not have noticed sooner that this person had a pair of large grape fruit's under their black vest?

The foreign wonder stared blankly for a bit before asking in a tone like one might to a child, "Have you gone daft or are you just high again in wonderland Jervis?" This woman tilted her head to the side whilst blowing a tuff of hair from her face; her head cocked in arrogance just like that curl Jonathan always did.. Jervis donned the scowl again. One henchman suddenly smacked the woman across the face… Tetch turned on him like a rabid dog. One does not hit a lady - no matter how insulting they are.

**- Tannis Murdock -**

Minutes.

Hours.

Days.

They all seemed to blur.

How long had she been sitting in that white wooden chair? How long had she been sipping that tea from a white cup? Thoughts spun in her mind all leading to the question of _How long?_ Perhaps the Hatter had finally cracked. Obviously he did not recognize her; Tannis feared that he might have thought her as Alice. His Alice. Oh the agony of that thought.

Now that she was in full thinking mode Tannis's body protested to not being able to light up that ever white stick, that cancerous love of hers. She wanted - needed a cigarette. Yet at this point she couldn't even move her own eyes less she was told to do so. Currently her fingers were lightly laced around a tea cup, it was being filled with carcinogenic earl gray tea. Being punched in the face by Batman was a better feeling than depriving her of her cigarette. They were right there! Right in her pocket!

Jervis had been chatting with the other henchmen at the table. He was at the head and she at his right, the rest were free willed henchmen - well free enough. He was speaking of plans to rob something or another in Gotham; as was like all the freaks in Gotham to be cliché. The chatter stopped and she felt his eyes upon her.

"Does my newest hare have a cold? Drink up your tea now." It was a command no matter how concerned the man actually sounded; and her body obeyed. Slowly her fingers and hand raised the cup to her lips. It was still too hot to drink. Tannis wished to cool it down if she had to drink it, but no such thing happened and she could feel the small blisters forming on the roof of her mouth. Tannis wanted to spit it out, it had a horrible bitter taste.

"Oh, I forgot the sugar! One lump or two?" Before she could wrap her mind around the question her eyes saw a silvery spoon held by a purple gloved hand. It had a cube of sugar that was dumped and stirred into the cup.

Several seconds past. Tannis liked sweet things. This included her coffee, her chocolates, and her cigarettes. If she couldn't have them then she at least wanted this bitter tea to taste sweeter. Tannis felt like she was loosing her mind at this point. Physical restriction was one thing… but this, oh this was torture for her. She _would_ have another cube of sugar in her tea, "I - want an other." Yes! That was her voice, her own free will!

The chatter stopped. Hushed by the hand of the Hatter, "Hm…" She heard as he moved the chair to stand. The man waved a hand in front of her face then poked at the card behind her ear; it was more like an itch than a card-like object to her. With a simple shrug he went back to his seat, not bothering to spoon out another sugar cube.

"Is she awake boss?" A moment had passed before a goon spoke.

There was a little bit of mutter around her before Hatter's voice broke through, "No." That was like saying she wasn't even alive anymore; well to Tannis is was. Determination. That was the word for it. But for what? She had hardly a life to go back to, and as much as she wanted more sugar in her tea that probably wasn't going to happen.

_A Cigarette.  
__The silky white smoke before your eyes,  
__and sweet taste of tobacco._

Habit would be her motivation. The physical need to have a that cancer stick burning away in her mouth. Polluting her lungs and filling up the world with toxic ash. In a way she could be far more addicted to this need than a silly white powdered drug.

The constant thought of her need caused her body to respond. Just the slightest twitch at first, then Tannis slammed the tea cup onto the floor- shattering it. Some porcelain cup cut open her fingers. "Jervis you fucking fag!" Tannis lashed out as she instantly went to pull the pack of smokes from her black suit vest; ignoring all the guns being pointed at her. Tannis placed the cigarette between her fingers, using her other hand to dig around for the lighter in her pants pocket, "It's Mr. White and I swear if you call me Hare or Alice -" One of the guns pointed to her head and had the hammer clicked back. The woman lowered her voice to a modest tone, "… I'd like another cube of sugar in my tea, please." She found her lighter, with a flick it opened up and thus she was content after taking a long needed drag. Her face almost placid again like before the outburst.

_Tonic's don't need to be liquid, but they sure are miracle cures._

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**Reviews are very inspirational and help writers with their blocks; so if you want more story then support your writers and give them some creative criticism. Good or bad. Till next time Aki.**


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